The Quarterback and His Assistant
by kiyoshi rin
Summary: A collection of one-shots, drabbles, and ficlets dedicated to our one and only quarterback and his lovely personal assistant. Each one will have a different theme to it and it's a challenge I decided to do myself. Most of them will be rated T, for those not, I will put a M or warning. Disclaimer: I don't own Eyeshield 21.
1. The Nice Guy Play

The Nice Guy Play

1st Down: Introduction

"Relax. Breathe. Don't tense up. Just smile and play nice." The reddish brown haired Deimon High student continued to say that mantra to the quarterback that was just sitting down with his legs up on the table. He wasn't even looking at her, but typing furiously on his laptop on God knows what.

"Relax, fucking girlfriend. You should be saying your little chant to yourself." He blew a bubble with his sugarless gum and continued chewing it.

"Hiruma-kun! You know how important today is for us!" she huffed and tried not to fling that football at his head; she could probably do it now though thanks to some private lessons from her quarterback boyfriend. It had been a few months since they started dating and things were finally settling into a groove that was until her parents found out about them one night. Her dad was coming home late from work since he was kept behind for some party they had for the newcomers, that's when he spotted the couple outside his house. His precious daughter and some bleached haired delinquent looking guy. Her father had confronted her about him with her mother and she had no choice, but to confess that she had a boyfriend. At least they know he wasn't a delinquent since apparently, to parents, delinquents couldn't possibly be in the top 5 of their school. Oh, they had not seen him wield an AK-47 before and she hopes they never do. Nevertheless, they had requested she introduce him to the family.

"Relax, it's not like we're fucking getting married." Hiruma said casually and Mamori's mind went blank. Oh God, there was no way she could hide that attitude of his til marriage. Oh my God, if they were to get married, they would be living a lie to her parents…can she handle that?! Wait – if Hiruma screws this up, marriage would definitely be out of the question.

"Just play nice, please? For my sake?" Mamori begged. "No cursing, no guns, no black book, and no blackmail!" She pulled a chair and sat next to him, trying her best to give him the puppy dog look which she was sure might work.

"Since you said that" Hiruma closed his laptop and looked over at her with a smile, "I'll be sure to bring my best fucking artillery." He smirked. She was honestly just too fucking cute for him sometimes, she might not think her puppy dog eyes had any effect, but it certainly did. However, Hiruma wasn't going to give that away, he kept a poker face. There was no telling what she might use that secret weapon for if she found out the effect it had on him.

"Hiruma-kun!" Mamori hit him lightly. "Well, I guess I can't hide your cunning side forever. Do whatever you want. Just don't be late!" She stepped out of the clubhouse, but not before giving Hiruma a quick peck on the cheek which she always did before she left. She had to go home and get dinner ready, as usual and she wanted everything to be perfect even though the chances of that happening were slim.

"Fucking girlfriend." Hiruma smiled and touched the side of his cheeks where her lips touched. The spot felt warmer than any part of his face and he smiled. The blond devil opened the laptop again and looked at the play he had just created on his laptop while Mamori was sauntering back and forth with her mantra. "Play nice huh?"

-o-

"Argh, I can't believe I forgot my notes!" Mamori walked back into the clubhouse where Hiruma was nowhere in sight. She grabbed the notes on the table and took a little peek at the laptop screen which had a screen open. "The Nice Guy Play, huh? Baka Hiruma." She smiled lovingly.

Maybe, the introduction with her parents won't be a huge disaster after all.


	2. The Losing Bet

The Losing Bet

2nd Down: Love

It was the usual night at the bar where all the female ex-managers for their respective high school football team gathered weekly for a way to relax and hang out with the girls. Although they weren't high school managers anymore, they still frequently met up with each other to hang out. The only non-managers with them was the quarterback turned mangaka, Koizumi Karin and cheerleader, Taki Suzuna.

"Hey, let's have a bet!" Tsuyumine Megu, the ex-manager for Zokugaku Chameleons, slammed down her empty beer glass on the wooden table. Mamori laughed weakly, this always happened whenever Megu got tipsy.

"Sounds fun!" Sawai Juri, the ex-manager for the Bando Spiders, exclaimed happily; she had a few too many beers as well.

"Ya~! Who's in?" Suzuna asked with excitement evident in her voice.

"Of course, everyone's in!" Megu exclaimed. "The ones that back out have to run naked across the Saikyoudai college football field!"

"Megu!" Mamori was shocked at the boldness of Megu. She knew she should have stayed home today instead of hanging out with these girls, she turned and saw Karin and Wakana Koharu (Ojo White Knights) had turned beet red. There was no way those two shy girls will back down now since the punishment was this fierce.

"What kind of bet is this?" Himuro Maruko (Hakushu Dinosaurs) muttered with a sigh. "Fine, I'm in."

With the always serious Maruko accepting, no one dared to object since most of the time she refused. Mamori sighed, she just hoped it wasn't something stupid.

"Okay, everyone calls a guy and pretends to be drunk. We'll see which ones come here first! The last person has to kiss the guy on the lips the next day and have a picture as a proof!"

"No way!" Koharu exclaimed with her cheeks burning red.

"Does this mean you back down?" Megu swung an arm around Koharu and smirked.

"N-no." Koharu blushed.

So the girls whipped out their cellphones and began dialing, the limit was one football player per person and so they all decided to pick wisely. The second rule was they couldn't state that it was a bet. The third rule was their call had to be on speaker phone which Mamori cringed at. The fourth rule was the guys would pick them up at 11pm and they couldn't state an earlier time. The last person to leave would be noted by the boss of the bar who was familiar with their antics.

Koharu knew she wouldn't pick Shin hands down because he could care less about her being drunk and besides; he was most likely working out. Oh, that and he didn't have a cellphone since he's technologically challenged anyways. She considered Sakaraba, but that would just be asking for death. Sakuraba already had a billion fans stalking him and if they found him picking her up, she shuddered. It only left one option.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end picked up and she swallowed the lump on her throat.

"Hi…Takami-senpai." She said quietly like a mouse. Everyone looked at her cellphone.

"Oh, Koharu, what is it?" Takami asked as he sat up on his desk, surprised to hear from his super shy kouhai.

"Umm….I'm a little drunk right now and I was wondering if you could umm… come pick me up at 11?" Koharu barely eeked out that phrase and everyone surrounded the cell phone.

"Sure, I'll be there soon." And then Takami hung up.

"Wow, he's so nice." Juri commented.

It was now Juri's turn and she started sweating bullets. She knew calling both Akaba and Kotaro would be useless since one was busy with music and the other was a blockhead who only cared about his hair. She sighed, couldn't God have pity on her? She decided to call Kotaro anyways since he would most likely get huffy if she called Akaba and not him.

"Juri, what's up?" His voice echoed in the bar and she could hear music in the background.

"Come pick me up at 11, I feel drunk." She said.

"That's not smart, but I'm a little busy though." Juri wanted to choke him through the phone.

"Fine, I'll just call Akaba." She knew that little jab would reach his egotistical head which was filled with Akaba as his rival.

"What? You'd call him over me! That's not smart! I'll be there at 11 sharp!" He hung up.

"That baka!" Juri was so close to flinging the table, but Megu held her back.

Megu settled her call pretty quickly which was of no surprise to the girls.

"Yo, Rui. Pick me up at 11 or I'll kill you." She shouted onto her cellphone. Mamori could just picture Habashira's wince as the voice broke his ear drums.

"Okay! No need to scream!" He shouted back just as loudly and Megu hung up.

"That's Megu for ya." Suzuna commented.

Suzuna grabbed her cellphone, she didn't even need to consider her options because she already decided who to call.

"Senaaaa~~" She smiled as she heard the click which meant he picked up his phone.

"Suzuna, what are you still doing up?" His voice sounded sleepy which was not a surprise since he was always exhausted from practice.

"Ya Sena, I'm a little drunk, can you come pick me up at 11?" Suzuna asked. Everyone muttered a inward complaint, it was kind of unfair if the person she was calling was her boyfriend.

"D-drunk?! I'll run as fast as I can!" Mamori could already see Sena shooting straight up from his bed wide awake.

Maruko also didn't have to give it a second thought as to who to call; it was one of the perks of being in a relationship. "Maria, did you miss me? Is that why you're calling?" Maria was the nickname Marco gave Maruko which used to bother her, but now she just treats it like a pet name. Well, it was more like she gave up fighting her younger boyfriend and she knew he wasn't going to change any time soon.

"Marco, I'm drunk. Come by the bar to get me at 11."

"Anything for you, Maria."

Karin gulped, it was her turn. She wasn't sure if she should bother him…he did have football practice, but she didn't want to run naked on the field either. Knowing Megu, she was dead serious about people backing down. Her head was whirling with multiple thoughts. She flipped open her cellphone and dialed a number with hands shaking and her heart pounding.

"Karin, how are you?" A serious voice came through and everyone knew it could only be one person. Of course, Karin would pick him.

"Um…U-u-unsui-ssan." Karin blushed and everyone gave her the "Karin has a boyfriend" eyes. "C-can you come and pick me up at 11?"

"What's wrong, Karin? Are you alright?" Unsui sensed Karin was feeling a bit nervous since she seemed to stutter more than the usual amount, not that he had been counting, but he was a very observant quarterback.

"S-s-sorry, I'm a bit d-drunk." She turned a red despite Unsui not being there.

"Stay where you are! I'll be there, be safe, okay?" Unsui's concern just heightened even more when he heard she was intoxicated.

"O-okay, thank you." Karin breathed a sigh of relief when the call was over.

"Wow, he really cares about you, doesn't he?" Megu winked and Karin turned even redder as if that was even possible.

Mamori tried to sneak out, hoping that they wouldn't catch on, but of course, they all did. They just surrounded her in a giant circle with a big grin on their faces. She felt like she was going to get beat up in the crowd, especially with Megu as the leader. Suzuna's antennae hair strand was sticking up and whirling all around.

"Let me off!" Mamori begged, but everyone - even Karin - said no. If Karin and Koharu had to do it, so did she. Mamori sighed; she didn't want them to hear the conversations she usually had with Hiruma since they were mostly fights. She would have called Sena, but Suzuna had dibs on him already. Her only choice was Deimon High's old quarterback.

She held her breath as the phone rang a few times before someone actually picked up.

"What do you want, fucking manager?" The husky phone sounded through the phone.

"Stop calling me that!" Mamori protested. Once the fights started, it always seemed like the two were inside their own world, even if they couldn't see each other or weren't in the same place.

"Well, what do you want?" He asked in his usual rude fashion which Mamori was used to now, but she didn't want the other girls to hear it since it was a shock to them. Of course, they knew he was like that with the team players, but no one expected that to happen with a manager, especially a girl.

"I'm drunk…can you come pick me up?" Mamori asked, bracing for the impact of response.

"Drunk?" She heard his infamous cackle and had expected this much. "The ex-disciplinary member is actually drinking right now?! This is going in the black book."

Mamori felt a vein pop in her head as Hiruma started adding fire to the fuel. "H-hiruma-kun! If you don't want to pick me up, then fine! I'll just ask Juumonji-kun to do it then!" She bluffed. There was no way she could call him, especially with the deal being one call per person. Her face turned red at the thought of kissing Hiruma. He would probably ask for a copy of their kissing picture and add it to the threat book, no…he would take the picture himself.

"Fine, fucking manager, call the Ha-ha brothers!" He hung up, but not before cackling like a maniac. The whole girl group was silent and didn't know what to say. Mamori felt embarrassed and angry at the same time; no one made a movement. They felt she was going to explode sooner or later and inched away a little to brace for the destruction. Even Suzuna, who knew Mamori the best, realized there was nothing to say to alleviate that humiliation and the others knew that if Suzuna wasn't doing anything, then no one should.

Soon the guys had come to pick up the girls from the bar. The first one to come was Sena since he was so worried about Suzuna plus he was the fastest runner out of all of the guys. The second to come was Unsui with his promptness and gentlemanly behavior which made the girls envy Karin. The third was Marco, but he had a perfectly legit reason since he went out and bought a bouquet of roses before he came to pick up Maruko. The fourth to come was Habashira who feared the wrath of Megu and he came on his motorcycle, however, he was still punished by Megu for coming in fourth. He had to do the infamous punishment of carrying his bike while she sat on it. The fifth was Tamaki who had been busy fixing plays that he almost lost track of time, but Koharu, being very forgiving, didn't punish him like Megu did with Habashira. The sixth was Kotaro; Juri was just grateful she wasn't last. She already knew she wasn't going to be first anyways, but being last was on her mind which made her a nervous wreck since she had no desire to kiss her childhood best friend. Every time a guy showed up and it wasn't Hiruma, Mamori ended up drinking away her anger.

"Are you sure you'll be okay here? Why don't you come with us?" Juri suggested, but Mamori turned down her offer. She didn't feel exactly peachy and she wouldn't want to be a third wheel or anything of the sort. So instead she just lied to them about calling one of the old Deimon players.

"Stupid Youichi!" Mamori grumbled, not bothering with the honorifics or calling Hiruma "Hiruma-kun".

"What'd you say, fucking manager?" She heard a voice behind her and she looked up to see Hiruma towering over her. Mamori hiccupped and started glaring at Hiruma.

"I lost the bet!" She blurted out angry. "Now I have to be punished."

"I know." He swooped down and pressed his lips to her. Before she could even react and push him away, her body countered her brain and she closed her eyes. She tasted the mint from his sugarless gums and the light taste of sake. Sake? Didn't he come from football practice? Before she could ask, she heard the click of a camera and she was barely staying awake. After a few seconds, she slumped down, with her head rested on Hiruma's shoulder. The only way he knew she was asleep and not unconscious was the soft snores that came from her.

"Tch." Hiruma scoffed, but had a small smile on his face. Unbeknownst to Mamori, he had been there in the beginning since she told him that she was going out with the girls to their usual bar. He had sipped sake and grinned whenever Mamori talked as if her voice was the referee that shouted "touchdown". He knew of the bet all along and for once, he didn't mind losing.


	3. Kitchen Talk

Kitchen Talk

3rd down: Light

**Note: AU! M for implied sex.**

Sex didn't bother him. Neither did alcohol, drugs or cigarettes. Things like these were common in the work he did.

"You know, you could have me for more than a day." The woman with brown curly hair whispered into his pierced ears as he trailed kisses on her neck and bit her collarbone which caused her to gasp.

"Not interested." He replied and continued sucking the spot he bit while she moaned.

"I could give you all the money you want…isn't that why you do this?" The woman asked. She tried to pull him in for a kiss only to turn his lips away from her and she let him go.

"I told you, sex is okay, but I'm not going to fucking kiss you." The blond said curtly.

She snickered. "Why? Trying to save it for a special someone?"

"None of your damn business, do you want to fuck or not?" He just asked, trying to keep his anger from rising any higher. He had to respect the clients' wishes or so he was taught, but he didn't give a fuck about any of it. She said nothing more and he continued to do the dirty business as the woman moaned in contentment.

As the woman screamed out his name in ecstasy, Hiruma closed his eyes, pretending the raspy voice was a softer and quieter one that always filled his mind whenever he was alone. He tried to picture her: the red hair, sparkling blue eyes, heart shaped face, rosy lips, dazzling smile, and that beautiful voice which haunts him in the best way possible.

After the deed was done, the blond got off of the woman and started putting on his black pants. He wore his black t-shirt with some logo on it, black scarf, and put on his shoes as the woman smoked a cigarette, her naked body barely covered by the thin silk sheet. The plumes of smoke filled the hotel room and he turned away, sick of that smell.

"Thanks for the great time, the money should be already given to your boss. I'll call on you again." The woman got up and blew one last smoke into the already polluted room before kissing him on the cheek. He said nothing and waited until she had walked into the bathroom before leaving and wiping his cheek.

He walked out the hotel and ignored the glances that everyone was giving him. No one needed to ask to know what his line of profession was - especially, when a 20-year old with ripped jeans, leather jacket, and black converses was walking out of a fancy expensive hotel when he had just checked in with some rich older woman. Besides, with his delinquent appearance, no one dared talked to him in the first place; not even the people that worked with him did. Many even asked the boss why he would hire such a rough-looking kid in the first place. Although many of the other guys thought he would fail because of his I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude and lack of mannerism in front of clients, he was actually their number one host.

Hiruma was popular with the rich business woman who were usually so used to being treated with respect and reverence so when they met someone that gave them attitude, frankly, it turned them on. Due to this fact, he wasn't thrown out of the club which regarded themselves as having the best customer service available. That cliché was true: every girl loved a bad guy. Many of the hosts tried to pull off that image, but a rich woman knows how to spot a fake.

He continued walking down Roppongi district, the only district that was alive in the night. He walked past strip clubs, women wearing the shortest tank tops and shorts that enticed drunken salary men into coming to their business and hosts who tried to solicit business by talking to women that were spotted with designer bags and outfits.

"Youichi!" One of the girls giggled and waved at him. He ignored their flirtatious ways and continued down the street until he came upon a host club with a red and black theme to it called the Deimon Host Club.

Many of the fellow hosts cowered in fear over him and the women looked at him lustfully, but he would never take them. They were cheap prostitutes that were worth nothing compared to the high class clientele he managed to rack up. He walked straight through without acknowledging anyone until he bumped into the boss.

"How did it go?" Musashi, who looked older despite being the same age as Hiruma, asked him.

"Same as usual, fucking old man. I'm going to go get something to fucking eat since I couldn't eat any of that shit in the hotel." He walked past him and into the kitchen.

The kitchen was quiet and rarely did any customer order food since it was an alcohol business, but Musashi left it there for hosts to eat and sometimes they needed to cut fruit up anyways.

"Oh, Hiruma-kun. How was today?" A girl with red hair smiled at the blond who barged into the kitchen without even saying hello.

"Fucking cook, I'm starving." He said, not bothering to answer her question, and that was all she needed to hear before she stopped cutting the fruit and took out a pan.

"You know, you could ask!" Mamori grumbled, but she did as she was told anyways. She didn't even need to ask what he wanted to eat; it was always omurice with a little small happy face on it drawn with a little ketchup. Normally he despised anything sweet, but this was the only exception. He sat on a stool, chin propped on his elbow, wordless as he watched her cook with concentration.

-o-

"Where's Youichi, he has a client?" One of the new hosts asked Musashi and he gestured to the kitchen. The new host was about to walk into there when Musashi stopped him.

"Here's a new rule, newbie: no one bothers him when he's in the kitchen and no one goes in either." Musashi informed the new host who decided it was better to tell the client to wait than face the wrath of the famous devil.

-o-

"Here you go." Mamori placed down a plate of steamy hot omurice on the counter along with a fork. Hiruma looked at it for a few seconds before taking a bite. It tasted just like his mother's cooking and for some reason it always reminded him of his mother that passed away.

"Not bad, fucking cook." He said gruffly and she smiled as she turned her back and resumed cutting the fruit.

_"Are you saving it for a special someone?" _

He stole a glance of her back and a small smile tugged at his lips as he continued eating.


	4. This Scary World

This Scary World

4th Down: Dark

**Note: Part 2 of Kitchen Talk, rated T.**

Mamori's parents had always told her, when she was little, that this world was a dark and scary place, but her parents would always protect her from it. She used to think dark and scary meant the monsters and big bad wolf from "Little Red Riding Hood" that ate children. But when she grew up, she found what dark and scary really meant.

Her parents, who had promised to take care of her, died when she turned 20 and her scheming relatives took her inheritance away. With college fees due, she swallowed her pride and tried to find work. However, the normal places to work at: restaurants, fast food places, etc, were not hiring so she stumbled upon the Roppongi district. Being brought up in wealth, she never thought that there was this side of Japan.

"Hey pretty nee-chan, want to come with us?" A host had walked up to her and tried to hold her waist.

"No, thank you." She replied and walked away as quickly as possible, failing to notice a person in front of her.

"Are you alright?" A man who looked like he was in his thirties asked her and she nodded. The man looked at her and knew right away she wasn't a hostess or prostitute, but someone who seemed slightly lost. She wandered around until she found a help wanted sign and inquired after it. It turned out the owner was the same person who was polite to her. After a quick interview and a sampling of her food, she was hired.

At first, she was scared since many of the hosts would try to flirt with her except for a certain blond who she thought looked familiar. He was rude, cussed a lot, and often picked fights with her which she never backed down on. Pretty soon, the other hosts stopped flirting with her and the blond was the only one who entered the kitchen with the exception of Musashi who only came in to ask for fruits.

Everyone called the blond "Youichi", but being raised by polite parents, she was the only one that addressed him as "Hiruma-kun". And, he was the only one that called her "fucking cook" instead of "Anezaki".

The job she had wasn't so bad, it gave her time to go to school during the daytime, in the evening from 4pm to 10pm, she had time to study and do her homework. From 10pm to 5am, she would work. Then it was back to school at 10am. She didn't get a lot of sleep, but she got enough to function and sometimes she was even able to take naps during the time she usually studied and instead study at work. Most of the time at work, she had nothing to do until Hiruma walked in which usually happened after he left for a client.

-o-

The double doors opened with a bang and she looked up from the fruit platter to find the blond walking in with a tired expression on his face.

"Oh, Hiruma-kun. How was today?" She asked politely and usually smiled at him, hoping he would do the same back.

"Fucking cook, I'm starving." He said curtly and sat down on a stool.

"You know, you could ask!" Mamori knew that his client must have been annoying in order for him to act like this, but then again, he was always like this since the first time she met him. He never seemed to smile and the closest one was when he had that cocky smirk on his face as he blackmailed someone. She decided not to start a conversation since sometimes the silence was comforting. She just cooked what he wanted as usual.

From the stove, she took a glance at him when he was looking away, his elbow always propped up and his blond hair always gelled up. She admired that defined jawline and quickly looked away when he turned back to facing her. She blushed slightly and concentrated on cooking.

"Here you go." She set down the plate and gauged his expression which was often difficult since he rarely showed any emotion other than annoyance. She wondered why he stared at his plate for a few seconds every time.

"Not bad." He said and she smiled. It was Hiruma talk for it tasted delicious even if he wouldn't admit to it. She smiled and turned back to cutting up the fruit.

When she was done, she turned to see his plate almost finished and it never failed to surprise her how fast of an eater he was. He took out a piece of sugarless mint gum and started chewing it; she guessed it was to take the food breath away.

"Later." He replied and walked through the kitchen, leaving her alone once again.

"Ah, the fruits." She remembered and carried it out. She rarely left the kitchen since most of the time, Hiruma just carried out the fruit for her or Musashi would walk in after a few minutes. Musashi always knew when the fruits were done being cut, this time though, he didn't walk in so she decided to go out herself before the fruit wasn't fresh anymore.

She had forgotten how scary it was in the host club, the women looked at her like she was a piece of trash, but she often chose to ignore the looks since it was pointless. She looked around, the chandelier lights, the leather booths, the smell of alcohol and cigarettes all mixed in together, and the noisy atmosphere. Seeing this again, reminded her of the first time she entered through those fancy doors and ended up getting a job here.

"Sorry, Anezaki-san. I was caught up that I forgot about the fruits." Musashi walked away from the bar counter and took the plate of fruits from her. Her attention wasn't on him though, but on that blond whose booth was surrounded with rich women. She made eye contact with him and he looked at her for a few seconds before turning his attention to his clients.

She walked back into the kitchen without another word and the kitchen doors closed her off from that scary world. She buried her face in her arms and tried to get that image of Hiruma with all those women out of her head. She always knew this was his line of job, but seeing it in person was different than just knowing about it. Hiruma never talked about his work in front of her either, their conversations were usually bickers about her love for cream puffs and his habit of blackmailing others to be his slave.

-o-

"Fucking cook, go sleep at home." She heard a husky voice and looked up to see Hiruma sitting by her on the counter.

"Oh, Hiruma-kun. Is it time to leave?" She asked and checked the time. It was 5:30am and so she stretched a bit and got up. "I have to wash your plate and clean the counters, you can go on ahead."

"Already did that, now let's go." He pestered her until they went out the back door where she always entered and exited from. It was particularly cold that morning since it was almost the end of November and she could see her breath. She felt something warm wrapped around her and saw that Hiruma had rearranged his long black scarf so he and she were sharing it.

"Fucking cook, next time, wear something warmer so you don't fucking contaminate my food." He shouted and she smiled back, glad that the scarf was hiding her blush.

"I will and thanks for the scarf!" She shouted back as they walked back together. Maybe this world wasn't as scary as she thought it was…at least not with him around.


	5. In Sickness and In Health

In Sickness and In Health

5th Down: Solace

Mamori quickened her steps and quickly tried to hail a cab. The taxi cars drove by without noticing her since many cabs were occupied by people used it as shelter from the pouring rain. She had stupidly run out without an umbrella, but tha was the last thing on her mind. She needed to speak to Hiruma – no she needed to see him.

-0-

The phone had rang and she picked up, knowing who it was that would call her in the middle of the night.

"Yes, Hiruma-kun?" She yawned a bit.

"Fucking manager." His voice sounded different as if he was suppressing something as best he could. Being with him as his manager for three years now, she knew how his voice sounded like. She had heard how he sounded angry, irritated, happy, and serious. This one was different.

"Hiruma-kun. What's wrong?" She asked, her motherly instincts took over.

"Nothing. I just wanted to tell you I'm not going to practice tomorrow since I have shit to do." Mamori knew he was lying. Nothing ever surpassed the importance of football. He was the man who changed his Saikyoudai entrance exam to a different date just because it interrupted Deimon's practice. Only God knoew how he managed to pull that off though.

"Hiruma-kun, I'm coming over." She stated.

"Dammit, fucking manager. Stop treating me like I'm one of those brats." She heard the annoyance in his voice, but that didn't mask his attempt at suppressing something.

-0-

Hiruma groaned and checked his forehead which was burning up. He muttered some curses. He should be making some food or eating medicine, but his weak body was telling him to stay still. He had just gotten off the phone and regretted even making the phone call. By now, the fucking manager probably had a hunch that he was sick. He wouldn't expect anything less from her; this was the same woman who memorized the football rules in a day and created a secret sign language that only the two of them knew. He heard the door unlock and he cursed again. He had planned to pull a prank and let her stay outside for a little while, but that failed when he realized that he gave her the spare key. He had wanted her to wait for his new Sony Vaio laptop which was supposed to be delivered during the Wizard's practice time.

"Hiruma-kun!" He could already heard the concern in her voice.

"What?" He didn't even have the energy to finish off the statement with "fucking manager". He looked up to find her in Rocket Bear pajamas which were now soaked and clinging onto her body, showing off her every curve. He never expected her to look this sexy despite being in that kiddy outfit. However another concern destroyed that thought from his mind as quickly as it came. "Did you run here?" He took that silence as a yes.

"I'll go make some porridge for you, I bet you haven't eaten yet!" She didn't even need to ask where everything was since it was usually her who bought all the healthy food for him. If he had it his way, he would be chewing mint gum and eating cup ramen all day. She took out the carrots, seaweed, and rice and took out a pot. "Go back to bed." She said when she saw him making his way over; poor guy could barely stand. She pointed him in the direction of his room.

"You're soaked, fucking manager." He coughed out. "Go change."

Mamori loked down and realized her light pink pajamas were now a darker shade. It did feel uncomfortable so she went into his room, took a pair of boxers and a black t-shirt. She walked into the bathroom and tried to squeeze out as much water from her clothes and undergarments before hanging it in the bathroom to dry. She then changed into the black shirt which was too big for her and into the boxers which barely managed to fit her thanks to the elastic waistband.

She walked out of the bathroom and found Hiruma quietly watching over the pot. He felt a hand wrap around his waist and she helped him back to bed. He chuckled, who would expect the day would come when the ex-disciplinary officer was in his apartment wearing his clothes. It had an after-sex look which he would have teased her about had it not been for the jackhammer going off in his head.

"Hiruma Youichi, you are going to stay in bed and sleep until the food is done, then I'm going to feed it to you. If you got any problems, you can talk to the flamethrower that I'm going to use on you if you don't listen." She threatened. She seemed to have an affinity for fire. Rice-kun can attest to that.

He decided it was better to just listen; he didn't have the energy to pick a fight. The quarterback pulled the covers over him and he found her standing on the side of his bed, tucking him in. All she needed to do was to kiss him goodnight to top it off. He felt something cold on his forehead which felt nice and he drifted off to sleep.

-0-

Mamori stared at his sleeping face a little longer than mere friends should. It was if she was trying to etch all the details of his face into her memory. She hovered a finger a little above his forehead and traced his profile slowly. She smiled, even the devil can look cute sometimes. She checked the time; it was 2:00AM. She needed to get some sleep too, but at the sound of Hiruma's discomfort, she ignored the sleepiness and the fact that she had class the next day. Classes weren't her biggest concern since she was doing well and she could always get the notes from Taka or Yamato. She spent the next two hours changing the towel on Hiruma's head and dabbing his lips with water. Once the porridge was done, she told him to wake up and he just ate a small bowl without putting up a fight. He drifted off to sleep and she washed the dishes.

-0-

Hiruma woke up and looked at the time, it was 6:00AM. He saw some red strands of hair on the side of his bed and found Mamori asleep. She had slept in a sitting position and used the side of his bed as a pillow. He could hear the light snores, but things turned bad when she sniffled.

"Oi, fucking manager." He nudged her; she looked up at him with her face slightly flushed.

"Hiruma-kun." She coughed and her eyes widened. Hiruma started laughing which caused him to cough also.

"Looks like we're both fucking sick."

She groaned. "I'm going to sleep on the couch. Is there anything else you need?"

Hiruma scoffed at how she was still concerned about him when she was sick now. He grabbed her wrist before she could move and scooted over on the bed.

"What?" She asked, confused by his actions.

"I only have one blanket and the living room's fucking cold."

"It's okay, I'll drink some hot tea..." She sniffled.

"Just get in."

"But-"

"You're letting the cold air in." With that said, he pulled her on the bed and covered them both with a blanket. He felt her shift a bit until she settled comfortably on the bed. He could hear her fain snores as she let the sleepiness overcome her. He quickly texted Yamato that practice would be overseen by him because today he and the fucking manager were busy scouting other players. After that was done, he slyly scooted closer to her, allowing himself the freedom of smelling the scent of rain which still clung onto her hair that spread across his black pillow.

He had planned to wait out the sickness by himself in the first place, but having someone there isn't so bad.


	6. Bittersweet Parting

Bittersweet Parting

6th Down: Break Away

Graduation for many is a wonderful memory. There's the throwing of the graduation cap, the triumphant shouts that they finally made it past the four years, and the dreams of the future. For two people, however, it was different. It was the end of an era. There wouldn't be any more teasing of being a creampuff glutton or a trigger-happy maniac. No more secret hand signals from the bench to field. No more brooms used a shield against bullets. No more private moments shared in the club room kept neat by a certain manager and dirtied by a certain quarterback.

The two were destined for different things: him as a quarterback for the NFL and her as a kindergarten teacher for a prestigious school. He wanted badly to ask her to come with him, but he knew the answer she would reply with and understood how it would be unfair to her. She had her own dreams too and couldn't follow him forever. The past five years had been wonderful, but all wonderful things came to an end.

So amidst the large graduating crowd, they looked at each other from across the auditorium. He grinned widely and took out his guns and she stared angrily with a broom in her hand. If they were parting – they're parting with a bang, gun smoke, tears and a smile on their faces.


	7. 7 Minutes in Heaven

Seven Minutes in Heaven

7th Down: Heaven

-3:01PM-

She barged into the club room, yelling at the blond who was busy typing on his laptop the new strategy to beat the Ojo White Knights.

-3:02PM-

He teased her about the Kariya box she held in one hand and tried to grab the convenience store bag from her other hand.

-3:03PM-

There's gun fire and bullets being deflected. The club room is smothered in smoke.

-3:04PM-

She huffs and begins cleaning the clutter that had appeared between yesterday and this afternoon. She continues her nagging on how things should be put away and not scattered all over the place.

-3:05PM-

He stuffs a piece of gum in his mouth and blows a bubble with it. He watches as she carefully makes the coffee, making sure of the grounded coffee to water ratio.

-3:06PM-

She sits across from him and opens her notebook. She starts writing game plans and copying stats down. They pass each other notes without looking at each other, both concentrated on what they are working on.

-3:07PM-

She pours a steaming hot cup of coffee in his mug the way he likes it. She pours another one for herself and hands the other over. He sips the black coffee and smiles, checking to make sure she didn't see it. This was his heaven...until the damn brats interrupt it.


	8. Explanations Needed

Explanations Needed

8th Down: Innocence

They stared at each other, ignoring their surroundings and the people around. The couple began to sign profusely.

That's fucking stupid.

Then you think of something!

Just tell him the damn truth!

He's too young to hear it.

He's not a damn baby anymore!

Youichi, just make something up!

They were interrupted by a boy with black spiky hair and charming blue eyes. He stared at them incredulously and amazement.

"Mommy, daddy. I just want to know where babies come from...why are you fighting?" The five year old said. His parents looked at each other and the brunette nudged the blond.

The blond reached down and picked him up. "I don't know where other babies come from, but you came from a rabbit and a girl wearing a wedding dress."


	9. Bump

Bump

9th Down: Drive

"I knew I was going to die today!" The brunette cried out as she watched the person next to her drive like a maniac.

"Slow down!" She shouted.

"No, fucking manager! It's fun this way!" He spun the car around and hit other cars in the process. The manager grabbed onto the side of the car handle for dear life, praying it would be over soon.

"People are going to get hurt!" She protested.

"That's the point." He grinned his trademark devilish grin that showed he found this amusing. "Stop acting like a fucking mom."

"I would, if you drove safer – watch out!" She closed her eyes and held onto Hiruma's free arm. They collided with another car head on.

"Relax, fucking manager. It's just bumper cars." He cackled in amusement. Bumper cars or not, with him on the wheel, she saw her life flash before her eyes.


End file.
